Improved amalgamator



y ments.

`frame upon which the pan is supported and 'UNITED- STATES@ PATENT FFIO.

THOMAS VARNEY, or sAN FnANOisOO, oALiFOnNIA.

IM PROVED AMALGAMATOR.

Specification forming partof Letters Patent No. 43,535, dated July 12, 1864. t

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS VARNEY, of the city and county of San Francisco, and State of California, have discovered certain new and useful Improvements in the Mode of Constructing what is known as Varneys Amalgamator, for which Letters Patent were issuedfrom the Patent'Oftice of -the United States to me, bearing date the 16th day of December, A. D. 1862, and numbered 37,185 5 and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the amalgamator with the improvements, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

l making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is mainly avertical central section view of the amalgamator with the 'improve- Fig. 2,is mainly a top view of the the driving-gear. Fig. 8 is substantially a top view of the interior of the pan with the cover removed.

The particulars in which the drawings differ from the views above mentioned will 'be apparent on comparing the several figures and reading the following description The body of the amalgamator consists of a pan or tub, A, vwith a cover, B, through which there is an .opening for the introduction of the pulp to be' amalgamated, which (onsists of pulverized ore and water. This pan is supported upon suitable frame-work. (Shown in Fig-2.) Around 'the center of the pan, and extending from its bottom (to which itis cast) to some distance i above the cover, stands the vertical tube D,

the interior of which constitutes an opening vertically quite through the pan, in order that the shaft C may pass through it. On the bottom of the pan, and secured to it by thebolts e, lies the lower muller, a, being a circular iron plate with a round hole d in its center considerably larger than the base of the tube D. This die or muller may be made in sections, if desired. That portion of the hole through this muller not occupied by the tube D is lled with wood, so as to present a plain surface from the tube to the circumference of the muller. The diameter of this muller is somewhat less than that ot' the interior of the pan by which the space a is left to be filled with quieksilver. Above the lower muller is the upper one,b, of like general formand size, having about twelve shoes,c, the form and relative posi-tion of which will be understood by supposing a plate of thediameter and thickness of the lower muller attached to the under side of the upper muller, and sawed into about twelve equal parts by a saw an inch thick, and running in a line drawn from the circumference of the plateto the outside of the tube D, the saw being kept inclined laterally at an angle ot'forty-five degrees, thus forming radial grooves from the inner to the outer opening. Each shoe is fastened to the muller by a wronghtir'on rivet with ahead in the form of the frustum of a cone east into the middle of the shoe and riveted on .the upper side of the muller, as shown atj', Fig. 1. At gis shown the old method. The riveting must be into a countersink, so as to leave the upper surface ofthe upper muller a snooth one.l The boss and recess]- keep the 'die in its place. In the lower muller are radial slots similar to those between the shoes of the upper muller. These slots may be inclined laterally or not; but if inclined the inclination 'should be in a direction opposite to that of the slots between the shoes. These slots (in the 'lower muller) are filled with wood or some other substance softer than the die, in order that the saine may be kept worn slightly in advance of the wear of the die, thus furnishing a wedging entrance for the pulp between the grin ling-surfaces,

whereby the grinding capacity of the machine is greatly increased. v

Over and around the tube D, but not in contact with it,`is placed the larger tube E with its base inline with the lower face of the upper muller, and having around its lower end the flange V, upon which rests loosely the ring h, which'is east with and formsapart of the upper muller, and is connected with it bysix curved arms ors'pokes, fi, two oppositepairs of `which are much nearer together, 'f than the others, and the space between each of which pairs is filled by a projection from the periphery of the flange V for the purpose of carrying with it the upper muller when the flange revolves. To the shaft O is fastened the large tube E by the feather k and set-screw l in the hub G. The shaft C passes through its guidebox m, with Babbitt metal n, into and throu gh the hub F of the driving-wheel, in which is a feather sliding vertically in the shaft. This shaft is stepped by the ordinary method into the vertically-sliding box H, which is itself `muller is rotated.

held in the laterally-adjustable box o. The step-box rests upon a lighter bar, one endof which is supported by the screw-bolt u, Fig'. 2, and the other is held by the bolt and-handwheel, X, Fig. 2, by which it may be raised or lowered, raising and `lowering with it fthe,

shaft, the large tube, and the upper muller. Within the body of the pan there are suspend- (d three curved plates, r, Fig. .3, Vextending from near the upper surface of the upper muller upward and extending in length from the inner side of the pan varound 'toa point near the outside of the large tube, oppositev .in g t, Veast uponthe inner sideofthe pan.

rlhe operation is as follows: VThe space ct about the periphery otthe lower .muller =is illed with quicksilver andthe pan `nearlytlled pulp, and the shaftCis made to turnat a proper speed (about .seventy-.wie .revolutions `per minute) by .thegearing represented by Fig. 2, or other machinery by whichthe upper The .pulp `between .the niullers, byreason of the een trifugalforce, 4is made to pass :outward Vthrough vthe v.radial channels between thedies, an'dfalsobetween the grinding-surfaces of the Vdies `and .the lower muller, against, into, Vand over Vthe quicksilver, thereby causing amalgamation to take place. This outward motionof 4the. pulp keeps the quicksilver entirely .away 4vfrom the x grin din g surfaces, th erebyL obviatin g wh at'. has

heretofore proved .a very serious idifclty, the grinding of the quicksilver. .The :rotation of the upper muller.causesthepulp'in the pan to :revolve ywith it. .Thiscurrentis met by the `euneiform :projectionsand zthe curved plates, andturned.inwardtowardthe central openings .in the Aupper mu/ller. The

-radial slots between fthe shoes-,runningrom the center opening to Ythe. outward one, allow streams of pulpof considerable Asizeutogpass with great velocity. The vpulp llingfthese slots being thus thrown outwardly tends to leave vacuums in the slots, by'which the pulp in the body of the pan is pressed downward with a force equal to that with which the pulp between the mullers is thrown outward, thus'oausing a Yrapid f and 'abundant ow of pulp constantly down at the center, out between the mullers against the quicksilver, up

ward along the inner surface of the pan,

against the curved plates, and again to the center, and so round and round till complete -pulverizationof the quartz and. complete am al- -gamation ot' the metals take place. By the peculiar form and 1position .of the-flangeson l.the cur-ved platesfthey, glide under thefpulp in advance of theplates,.an'd neutralize the neffect ofthepressueof thepulp. and its.tend .encyito .go '.under )the Y,platesyturniljigfit upward,and thereby lesseningithe amountwhich .escapes beneaththeplates, and'more :effectu- `allyldrawing thefpulp to theoenter.

11n. starting :the machine .after a stoppage :these scraperseasil y and eftectually plowvu p andv removethe compactsedim en't vwliiohrform s on thesuppermuller.

l.Having thus described my inventionfw'hat I claim asn'ew., anddesire to secure ,bylieotters 'l?fatent, .is-,-

l.1. v{[hemetho'deof fastening Atheshoeskto'the .uppermuller `by casting the .rivetsinto *the shoes, `asfshown.

42. The use ofithe anfges-,onLtheloweredges ofy the curvedA plates,`.intlie mannernndffor the purposes setforth.

3. The employment of the ,space 'for Athe quieksilver abouttheperipheryofthe mullers .with 11o-openings therefrom in thelower mully'er by whichthexquicksilveris' preventedffrom beingrground, andat the=same` .time is `so ,situatedthat it isl brought into .constant-and effective .contact with the. pulp. f

4.1.'lhe useof the .slotsin' the `lower muller,

flled with `.woodor yits equivalent, forthepur- ,poses/set. forth.

.5. `The mode of suspending.andfdriving 1the Vupper muller by the arms i and :ring'h and ange V ,withits projections.

lDated at the oityand .county o't' -San Fra-n- .oiseo, .and .Statef California, this 726th day Vof April, .'A.1D.l1.86l4.

'THOMAS VAENEY Witnesses .ALFRED BIX,

W. CHAMBERS. 

